Fall of the Cities: Planting the Orchard

by Vance Huxley

  “Don’t worry. We’ll make like mice. I’ll let the rest know.”

  When the staff came out of the hotel the soldiers were busy loading food and bedding, cutlery and cooking pots and plates. “Thank the captain, please?” Cullen looked at the soldiers heaving gear into the lorries. “We might have trouble getting more food to start with.”

  Cyn hadn’t told the rest of the staff about what was at this new place, so that nobody told the wrong person and got Harry into even more trouble. Except Marcie and Nita of course. There again Cynthia didn’t know everything that had been put in place.

  Cullen looked up at the back of the hotel. “I should thank him myself.”

  “He’s too busy, Cullen, but I’ll pass it on.” The captain might not agree with Harry’s interpretation of taking the staff and their stuff.

  Marcie and Maynard came out hand in hand while the rest was being loaded, and she was the last aboard. Before that Marcie gave her Davie a goodbye kiss that raised a round of applause from the squaddies and sent Maynard bright scarlet. “All aboard?”

  “Yes corp. Are you travelling in the back?” Tredwell had a big grin as did several of the squaddies.

  “Cheeky. There’s no room.” It would be too tempting as well. Seeing the corporal deliver that sort of kiss would definitely get back to someone. Harry climbed into the cab.

  “Where to corp?” The driver had a little smile.

  “Hideaway.” The man’s smile grew a little bit and he put the truck in gear.

  * * *

  The men were laughing and joking as they unloaded at the other end, though they backed up tight to the door again. First for the passengers to get out so nobody got a clear view, and then they unloaded the goods.

  “The squaddies might talk once we’ve left.” Tredwell was worried.

  “I’m already as deep as I can get. Just use the same old answer. The corporal said it was a hush job.” Harry laughed. “It was.”

  “Is she worth it?”

  “All of them are worth every shovel full I’ll get dumped on me.” Harry looked round. “I need a few private minutes.”

  “You haven’t got time for Sin.”

  “What have you been teaching Nita?”

  “Shit. I don’t want to see so I can honesty deny all knowledge. I thought it was so if they could trade for one, they could use it.” Tredwell actually seemed to be shocked.

  “So that’s what you still think now. Now go off and do LC things, and I’ll do corporal things.” Harry headed for the lorry cab and pulled out the steel box with the handles each end and a big padlock. He put it in the toilet and went to find Cyn.

  Harry unlocked the padlock and opened the lid. “Six? Oh Harry Corporal Miller! Are you sure there isn’t time – no, I suppose not.” Cyn delivered a kiss that tried to compensate.

  “There’s ammo as well but keep the box out of sight until we are long gone. If one of the lads mentions the other gear we put in here someone might come to look. Whoever looks won’t be happy if you’re carrying these about. I doubt anyone will actually take bedding and a bit of food off you, but hide the box for a bit.”

  “If the men say something, will you be in trouble?”

  “I already am.” Harry grinned because right now he didn’t care.

  “More trouble, idiot.” Cynthia thumped him lightly on the chest.

  “Probably.”

  “Leave it with me. Don’t go out of that door without a goodbye.” Cyn gave Harry a brilliant smile and was gone.

  Harry checked that the rest of the food and bedding had been unloaded, and that the fridges were now stocked. A voice, Tredwell he thought, called from the main library. “Corporal?”

  Harry came out of the kitchen to find the men and Tredwell lined up in the main library. There was a small stack of books by the door. “We’re ready to go but the young lady wants to say something.” That was Cynthia.

  “We just want to say thank you to all of you. We want to do so personally because with all this we can hide. Then maybe we will be safe until the Army come back.” Cynthia paused. “I know Harry Corporal Miller didn’t tell you.” There was a ghost of a smile from a few of the men. “That was to protect you. We want to say thank you for not saying anything and not getting him in trouble.”

  Cynthia stepped back and Nita stepped forward and held up her hand. A tiny diamond sparkled on her third finger. “I want to say a special thanks. I will have Corporal Santos Menzies’s baby when the time comes. It’s all right because I want his baby. The baby will be safe here. Thank you.” Nita stepped back and Cullen walked up to Tredwell.

  He stuck out his hand. “Thank you, Lance Corporal.” Then Cullen worked down the line saying thank you to each man, followed by the men.

  Marcie went up to Tredwell. He got a peck on the cheek with his thank you, as did the rest of the men. Nita went next and a few of the men congratulated her. Some of the young women who followed kissed lips, and a few kisses were a bit firmer, but the men behaved very well. Some looked a bit stunned. Cynthia went last and they all got a little kiss on the cheek. Then she came over to give Harry his kiss. That got a round of applause as well.

  The men filed out looking very thoughtful and bemused, but Cynthia stopped Harry at the door. This kiss made the applause version almost staid. When Harry looked round the staff had all disappeared while his brain was on holiday. “That was thank you from everyone, Harry Corporal Miller. Come back if you can?”

  “I will if I can, Cyn.”

  There were a lot of little smiles when Harry came out and got into the cab. “Hotel, please.”

  “Right Corp.”

  * * *

  Tredwell cornered Harry as soon as they were clear of the men, back at the hotel. “Did you put her up to that?”

  “Cyn? No, why?”

  “She should be a bloody Lance Corporal. That lot, the lads, were talking outside. Anyone opens their mouth and the rest will beat him senseless.” Harry stared and Tredwell laughed. “It’s all right, I can guess why your brain is still in shock if you got another goodbye, but your Cyn played it dead right.”

  “But the staff really are grateful.”

  “Which is why it bloody well works.” Tredwell sighed. “I hope we’re going to the barracks because the goodbye you got reminded me of how long it is since I saw my missus.”

  They headed upstairs but when they opened the door to their room it was full of soldiers. “What the… sorry sir.” The captain turned and sighed.

  “I suppose we have to search you as well, and Lance Corporal Tredwell, but you aren’t carrying an illegal weapon, are you?”

  Harry looked round the room where his kitbag, pack, and every cupboard and drawer had been emptied out. “No sir.” It had been a close-run thing though. Harry had intended giving Cyn a spare he’d picked up and the one Menzies had sort of bequeathed. Then he’d decided at the last minute it wasn’t enough.

  Tredwell looked puzzled, but that would be because they hadn’t found his. Harry was going to have to explain that later. But first Harry needed to know what this was about. “What made you think we had illegal weapons in here, sir? Is everyone being searched?”

  “No. Why, should they be?”

  “Not as far as I know, sir. I don’t know why we’re being searched.”

  “There was a firm report that you had taken civilian weapons and been trying to sell them to the men.” The captain was definitely annoyed, but Harry thought he was also not completely ticked off at Harry. “Obviously a mistake. I really will want to talk to the source of that information. Sorry about this.” The captain waved his hand at the heaps of belongings. He gave a little smile. “Gives you a chance to sort it out and pack properly.”

  Harry grinned, at least partly from relief. “Very kind sir.” The three squaddies who went out after him were definitely puzzled. No doubt they had spare weapons themselves and had thought the extras were sort of sanctioned. Only up to sergeant, apparently, or only unless they came
to official attention.

  Tredwell was looking round and then at Maynard and Harry. He turned to Maynard. “Full marks for bloody fast reactions, but how the hell did you hide them and the ammo.”

  “He didn’t, Tredwell. I did.”

  Tredwell turned to Harry. “Why, and where?”

  Harry took a deep breath. “In a box in the library now, and I took yours because there weren’t enough. It was a last minute decision. I was going to buy you a replacement from one of the lads who has a spare spare, if you get my drift.”

  “You might have asked.” Tredwell stopped and gave a little smile. “I would have said no before that bloody show the staff put on. Why didn’t you just collect some extras?” Tredwell looked at the mess. “Though I can’t complain. Did he nick yours as well, Maynard?”

  “Er, well, no. Harry said it was for Marcie so I gave him both of them.” Maynard was pink now. “So she’d be safe. You’ve seen all the weapons out there, Lance, there’s hundreds of the bloody things.”

  “Two?”

  “Yeah, well, I’d been teaching Marcie to use one, so I’d got a spare to sort of stick in her pocket at the last minute or something. Then Harry had this box, so I put them both in.”

  “With a shitload of ammo. He was saving up for a war so I’m not sure her pockets would have handled it. Before you ask, I threw in the one from Menzies. I thought it was right, for Nita.” Harry waited while Tredwell digested that.

  “Fair enough. It’s done now and seems to have saved my bacon as well. Though I’d dearly love to know who decided to turn us in. I would have thought all the men have their own by now, so they should be keeping quiet.” Tredwell was trying to come up with a name. “Hell, the officers must know, though the captain would have to go official if his nose was rubbed in it. Who have you upset lately?” Tredwell stared at Harry. “It’s in your face, you know.”

  “I reckon it is now, after you just asked that.” Harry’s grin was a little bit feral. “I reckon Lieutenant bloody Symonns is going to have trouble finding a name for his bloody informant.”

  “Christ. I am so glad we’re leaving. No offence, but I’ve got family and don’t want to be caught in the fallout if he’s that keen to get you. Why?”

  Harry’s grin was even wider. “I went over his head about the staff. I told him my medal would get me as far up the tree as I needed so he backed off.”

  “Ouch. Well, let’s get this lot sorted, because he’ll probably pull a room inspection just to give you more crap.” Tredwell started to sort out his gear. “I really do want to get back to the barracks and out of this.”

  Chapter 4:

  Parlez Vous and Goodbye

  “So why do they get to go on leave, Sarge?” Harry was watching the bus leave from the temporary camp set up for the troops pulling out of London. One of several camps, according to rumour.

  “Because the brass want to reassure the men with wives and families that their nearest and dearest are being looked after.” Sarge looked after the bus as well. “Morale was a bit rocky just after we pulled out.”

  “What about the blokes with steady girlfriends?” Harry grinned. “Some of them are married according to some cultures.” Then his face sobered. “What about the ones who aren’t in quarters? My sister lives back where we grew up, near her hubby’s family. He’s a lieutenant with the Rifles, in Ukraine.”

  “Don’t ask me, I’m a mushroom as well. Though there’s something up because I was asked if I wanted to leave. Not buy out, just resign, honourably with a pension.” Sarge snorted. “Not a bloody chance, I’d be lost out there.”

  “I thought they’d want more of us, not less. With all the riots and such.”

  “I was told it’s because we’re all being brought home, every unit from everywhere. So they’ll have plenty for the UK.” Sarge shrugged. “Makes a sort of sense.”

  “So what will us single blokes be doing while that lot are all having fun?”

  Sarge pulled a face. “Manning roadblocks, to stop the civvies from following us out. We’re supposed to keep everyone inside the M25 London Orbital Motorway. It’s the perfect place to stop them according to some genius.”

  “They’ll go round the roadblocks.” Then Harry stared. “We’re pulling out of London entirely?”

  “No we aren’t pulling out, there’ll be strong presences in the Tower and various convenient places. According to sergeant rumour.” Sarge smiled. “As for civvies going round the road blocks, well that’s what idle squaddies are for. Patrolling.”

  “Oh joy.”

  * * *

  Harry was on duty every hour the lieutenant could arrange it, and crawled into his sleeping bag exhausted every night. Oddly, that turned out to be a favour. One blessing was that being on the patrols meant he was mainly intercepting people who ran away rather than tried to kill him. That meant Harold had to shoot very few people, and those were shooting at him.

  The Army had accomplished one thing in London, Corporal Miller could now pull the trigger with a human in the sights. But he wasn’t in that numb trance brought on by the endless riots and forays into the estates, so Harry had time to think. Which meant that Harry was facing up to just what he’d done.

  All the bullshit about not shooting live targets, and now he’d lost count of how many nameless people he’d killed. Not really, because Harry could remember every face, but he refused to count them. It was bad enough watching them die, over and over, in his dreams. Although Harry hadn’t realised it at the time, Cyn had kept those dreams, and the faces, at bay. Now total exhaustion was almost doing the same, but only almost.

  The married men had two weeks leave and came back a lot happier. Right up until they saw the road blocks. “Concrete blocks? Steel plates? A bloody tank!” Tredwell stared at the burnt out vehicles on the sides of the road leading to the road block. “What the hell is happening?”

  “It’s got worse in there, inside London. Someone went through another roadblock with a bus covered in steel plates and we had a couple of cars try to crash through. After the bus, the tank turned up.” Harry lowered his voice. “Help me keep an eye on Maynard will you? He’s going crackers over Marcie being in there. If he goes AWOL the Army will shoot him when they go back in. If they catch him running, I’ll be on the bloody firing squad.”

  Tredwell looked startled. “Shoot? I thought that was only in there, with the Martial Law thing.”

  “Extended indefinitely all over the country. There’s already been a few executions though not here, thank God. Else that bastard Symonns would put me on the firing squad.” Harry sighed. “Keep clear of me, mate. I’m a lightning conductor, but for shit.”

  “Still?”

  “For as long as he’s in my chain of command I reckon. Did you hear when the old units are being put back together?”

  “No, not yet.” Tredwell gave it some thought. “Maybe the brass are waiting until everyone gets back home. Right, I see brass coming this way so I’m going to pack my gear away like a good little soldier.”

  * * *

  Harry read the notice and a voice from behind him asked “Are they serious?”

  “Yeah, they asked some sergeants already.” Harry looked over at the speaker, a squaddie. “Just like it says, there’s too many soldiers for what we have to do. Everyone’s coming home. Well, not all of them.” Harry had just had a letter from his sister Sharyn. Freddie, her husband, wouldn’t be one of those coming home.

  “Christ, there’ll never be room in the barracks.”

  “So they send a lot of us away. The simple way is this, giving us early retirement. The married quarters are being cleared out already.” Harry grimaced. “I just heard from my sister. Her husband is in a body bag, and there’s only quarters for the families of serving soldiers.” Sharyn had tried to get out of the city because that was turning into a war zone like London, though not as bad yet. According to the words between the black lines, life for all civvies was getting worse.

  “I’m no
t sure I fancy it, going into a mess like that without a rifle and a bloody Army behind me.” The squaddie turned as another voice piped up.

  “I might. My Mum and Dad are in one of those messes. So is my sister and her hubby and kids. Though I’d prefer to take my rifle.”

  “Not on the list, mate.” There was a list of equipment any departing soldiers could take in lieu of pay. “Though this might be the only way to get any pay.”

  “The back pay is piling up now. Maybe the cash box is empty?” There was a lot of muttering from the group now gathering.

  “On the bright side we’ve got food and clothing and a roof.” The speaker paused. “And a rifle which might be the important bit.”

  “If this crisis doesn’t get better, the pay will be useless but we’ll be safe in the Army. If it is all sorted out, we’ll be rich.” There was a muttering as some agreed and others were more worried about relatives if the worst happened. A few were pointing out that with a rifle the Army could get anything else.

  “Shut it. There’s an officer coming.” The group broke up. Harry left with the rest and he was torn. Harry didn’t fancy leaving the Army, but he didn’t really like the idea of Sharyn in a bloody mess like he’d left Cyn and the rest in. Not on her own. He toyed with the idea of resigning and going into London and joining Cyn, and that was tempting.

  Then there wasn’t time to think because it was time to go on another bloody patrol. Harry knew he’d get broken ruins or one of the places where the sewage system had collapsed and caused a swamp. Lieutenant Symonns was still getting his revenge.

  * * *

  “What’s the panic, Sarge?” A good half of those on the road block were throwing their gear into a truck. Packs but not kitbags so this wasn’t a permanent move. As usual Harry had slid his stick into the pack in case it went Déjà vu.

  Sarge grinned. “We’re going to France, so better polish up your manners. Voulez vous couchez and all that.”

  “Why? Have we declared war?”